EDGAR ABANIL BLOG

Odiongan is an old settlement datring porobably to the 15th century. THe Recollect missionaries were here in the 17th century but left no major buildings as proof. They just established a chapel and left after a few years, may be due to the hostility of the natives. Old Spanish maps indicate it as Oyungan. Odiongan is named after the large sea shell called locally as bodyong. The shell is made into a bodyong or improvised horn to call members of the tribe for a meeting with the Datu. The Datu is a tribal leader who oversees the affairs of the tribe. Datu Odyong was one such legendary figure after which Odiongan was named after. Odiongan River is also the largest river in Gingoog City. It may also be the longest. Its source is at Mt. Lumot, near Mt. Balatukan. The mouth of Odiongan River was once a thriving community of fishermen, Boholano and Chines traders. In the olden times ceremonies were conducted by Baylan to appease the spirit of the river, which claims lives every year. Food an...

Mt. Balatukan is the highest peak in the city of Gingoog and the Municipalities of Claveria, Balingasag and Medina. It is sacred to the Higaonons and in the olden times their ancestors made pilgrimages to its peak. A lake called Danao is on its caldera or mouth. The mountain is an old volcano, said to have erupted in the 17th century. Today it looks over Gingoog City like a watchful sentry, guarding Gingoog from typhoons and strong winds. Three planes perished in its vicinity, the last one being the jet of defense secretary Devilla. Fortunately he was not on board when the plane crashed. The ill-fated Flight 387 of Cebu Pacific perished in its adjacent mountain: Mt. Lumot as impact point and Mt. Somagaya the final resting place of the unfortunate air transport. Two perspectives of the same mountain. The picture above was shot in Barangay Eureka, Gingoog City while the picture below was shot in the city proper of Gingoog.

EARLY DAYS Eureka was just one of the sitios of Barangay Malibud when it was still part of the logging concession of the defunct Anakan Lumber Company (ALCO). The inhabitants of this place were natives called Higaonons. Higaonons were one of the loosely grouped tribes in Northern Mindanao extending as far as Iligan in the West and Agusan Del Sur in the East. Higaonons trace their ancestry to Datu Pabuloson their legendary progenitor from Patag, Tagoloan, the original enclave of the Higaonon tribe. From Patag in Tagoloan the Higaonon people made their trek to the mountains of Misamis Oriental. According to Apo Mandilguhan Ansihagan a Datu of Baliguihan, they were guide by a crow who they thought was the spirit of their ancestor. Whenever the crow alighted and rested on a tree branch, the Higaonons would camp out for several days. Then the bird would hover around their camps, signaling that they should break camp and continue with their sojourn. When they r...

Public office is a public trust. That has been the concept taught by the political pillars. It is embodied in the American constitution. It is adopted by many governments. The core value is: If you are in government, the people own you and you are answerable to the people. Therefore, you must act with utmost industry, prudence, and integrity. You must not corrupt your job by accepting bribes or by gallivanting. You must be deserving of the people's money. Where have public service gone now? Politics of patronage has been ravaging government service since the time the spoils system was employed. "We are now the masters here. Everything we conquer is ours, and it is our will that will be done from now on." How many employees were laid out after a new mayor or governor is elected? In the Philippines there is a term that a month after the elections, when the new officials have been sworn in, the employees, especially the casual ones, is already Tom Jones. What does it mean? E...

I was fortunate enough when I was chosen as one of the principals to undergo an online course entitled Excellence in School Leadership for Southeast Asia (Excels) which focused on Leading Curricular and Instructional Processes. SEAMEO – INNOTECH is the rightful course provider. It is aptly called a flexible course. An e-course this time would attune the school leadership to the Computer Age. It would not require a principal to be out of his school for a long time, attending formal classes. Aside from the scheduled chat sessions, the e-learner is given leeway in uploading his assignments. The learner is given 2 modules to study. The first module is about instructional leadership and the second module is about leading curriculum implementation and enrichment. The program was launched on May 27, 2007 at Xavier University for Region 1`0 learners. However, the formal start keeps on being postponed. After the start of school year 2007-2008 in June, we are...

Naked in the cold of the night. That's what most of us were when we came into this world. For four or five years we are under the loving(or cruel) care of our parents or care givers. We grow up facing all sorts of challenges. Some of them difficult, some manageable enough. We get through challenges either on our won or through the help of others. Sometimes we step on the back of others just to get to the top. That's what life is. It's a difficult task ahead but sometimes we undercome it when we are not able to overcome it. Like a river turning and churning its way to the sea, our life can experience difficulties. A river to us is mindless, just subjecting itself to the caprices of nature. But look what is has done which even most of us did not think about. Sometimes a river seem to stop at some point. And yet ahead it continued, somewhat coming from nowhere. But the river, mindless as it seems, dove down and sought soft spots in the ground. Silently it dug down, until it fi...